Mercy
by The Frisky Firelily
Summary: River shows him something he didn't see before. 6th in the Discovery-verse.


**TITLE: **Mercy

**DISCLAIMER: **Not mine.

**A/N: **Anybody remember that Disney movie Beauty and the Beast? For some reason I had that in mind when I wrote this. 6th in the Discovery-verse.

* * *

It was the strangest thing. He'd been doing so well. Ever since he and Simon had bonded over whiskey and a shared affinity for naughty jokes he'd been slowly moving towards a different kind of relationship with the crew. When Inara wore a particularly revealing gown to dinner one evening he held his tongue so the crude comment couldn't slip out.

When Mal had planned a heist with an obvious flaw he had clenched his teeth to stop his smartass remark, instead listening patiently while Zoe explained the issue. When Simon had left a medical journal on the coffee table in the galley Jayne had refused to give in to the urge to open it. All in all he thought he was doing quite well.

Until they'd hit Persephone.

Mal had organised a meeting with Badger that Jayne wasn't required at and he'd taken the opportunity to join Book at a local café for a meal. His friendship with the preacher was even closer now, with Jayne's obvious attempts to better himself drawing approval from the older man. They'd enjoyed a meal and were walking back to the ship when they'd seen it.

River, a small basket of fuzzy peaches and several bright red cherries clutched in her hand, was walking towards a group of youths, the oldest of which must have been only 8. She was wearing that pretty pale dress that looked all kinds of strange with her heavy boots, floating along like some kind of combat fairy.

Jayne, knowing how pickpockets worked, took a step forward to tell her to stay away from them, but Book placed one restraining hand on his arm. "Don't, just watch." Jayne looked at the shepherd curiously, confused as to what he was meant to be seeing. His confusion grew when the shepherd simply focused even eyes on the group that River was approaching.

There were four children there; one looked no older than a toddler, all of them covered in a thin layer of dirt from their exploits. Their clothes were cheap and ragged, likely the result of long wear, and they didn't have any shoes on their feet. The little girl who looked to be about 3 was clutching the hand of what could only be her sister, both of them pretty with dark eyes and darker hair. One boy moved slightly in front of them as River approached, his eyes focused warily at the strange girl. The tallest boy stayed towards the back but looked equally alert.

Nothing happened until the youngest one seemed to recognise her. The toddler bolted away from her sister, running towards River with a happy grin on her sweet little face. The Reader held out her free arm, sweeping the toddler up, balancing her on her hip and planting a quick kiss on her cheek. The toddler babbled happily, something about the 'pretty lady'.

Her words seemed to relax the other children, who approached River cautiously. She smiled at them, her face lighting up when they came closer and she knelt, placing her precious basket on the ground. She held out a few cherries to the other children as the toddler stuffed a bite of peach in her mouth, the juice dripping down her chubby cheeks.

Jayne watched as the other children carefully took the offered cherries, River sitting herself down on the ground gracefully. She didn't seem to care about the juice dripping onto her pretty dress, or the dirt that covered her hands as she leaned back on the ground. The children began to chatter happily as they took the fruit with greedy eyes, and she was listening with a calm smile.

Jayne turned to the preacher. "You seen her do that 'afore?" Book nodded. "Whenever we are on a world with street children River tends to disappear for a little while. Last time Simon and I found her playing hopscotch with a few. She'd given them a loaf of bread Kaylee had baked."

Jayne remembered being annoyed at the disappearance of Kaylee's tasty bread but the mechanic had only smiled at him serenely. The concept of giving up food for someone else was strange and foreign but as he watched the children's faces light up as River began to play with them he started to see what was going on.

The night Inara had worn that dress Book had complimented the fabrics. When Kaylee dropped a wrench Simon picked it up for her. When Mal couldn't see a flaw in a plan Zoe pointed it out without judgement. When Wash wanted some tea Inara happily provided it. When Simon left his journal lying about Wash took it back to him. When River saw children who had nothing she wanted to give them something.

Book watched the dawning realization on Jayne's face. "Simon says she used to do this even before the Academy. Apparently it would drive her parents mad when she disappeared, only to be discovered playing with street kids."

The picture of a young River Tam driving her parents insane with her exploits was extremely amusing. Jayne thought about how much she'd gone through at the Academy. After something like that shouldn't a person be more guarded, more frugal? The girl had to know how difficult life could get, why would she put herself in a position of loss?

Even as he thought them the words seemed hollow. From the way her face was lit up as she played with the children there was no sense of loss. Just happiness. Jayne watched Kaylee approach and join in the games, the mechanic also diving straight in, uncaring of the dirt. She didn't even take any fruit for herself. Neither of them did.

Fruit was expensive, a special commodity, and that basket of goodies must have set River back a fair amount. Even taking into account that the girl now went on jobs to Read situations, and therefore got a cut of the takings all of her own, it still went against everything Jayne had thought to give up anything that was yours for someone else. He wandered back to the ship, not noticing Book's knowing eyes follow him.

Later that night he found her curled up in a chair in the galley. She'd changed out of the dress, which was unsurprising considering how dirty she must have gotten it, and she was wearing that soft looking burgundy sweater that came midway down her bare thighs. She had a sketch pad balanced on her lap and was sketching calmly.

He stood in front of her, waiting to be acknowledged. He hadn't spoken to her much since she'd helped him drunkenly stumble back to the ship, although he'd tried to be polite and friendly when around her. She still made him feel confused and uncomfortable, and he had a vague memory of saying some rather embarrassing things whilst intoxicated, furthering his desire to avoid her a little.

She turned her head up to him, her dark hair falling around her shoulders like a chocolate waterfall. Jayne wondered when he'd turned so gorram poetic.

He kept his voice low. "Why'd ya do that today?" She smiled at him in that quiet way that did strange things to his stomach. Her voice was patient and her eyes knowing. "Why do you send money to your mother?" Jayne shook his head. "They're kin, that's diff'rent, ain't like givin' expensive stuff ta strangers."

She held up the pad she had been sketching on. The faces of the children she'd played with smiled up at him. She'd managed to capture the light in their eyes, the happiness on their grimy little faces, the fruit clutched in their dirty hands like a prize.

Jayne stared. She'd done it because she liked seeing them like that. She nodded as she lowered the pad. "Not expensive to them, just special."

Her voice had taken on that dreamy tone and Jayne realized that she had a special affinity for children. "Ya like lil ones?" She nodded again, the movement dislodging a brown curl from behind her ear. "No artifice, no avarice, just happy little minds with thoughts like wind chimes. Light and sweet. Perfect."

He knelt in front of her, reaching out to carefully tuck the stray hair back off her face. Her pretty pink lips were slightly opened and her eyes were wide. He sighed. "Girlie I jus' can't figure ya out."

She gave him a playful smile as she leaned forward towards his face, her mouth barely an inch from his own. "Oh, but tis such fun to try." Before he could react she stood, taking her pad and moving quickly out of the galley. He huffed as he plonked himself down on the couch, muttering under his breath.

"Gorram lil crazy person with moonbrained ideas."

The next day he followed her out to the street, leaning against a nearby wall and watching as she gave the children her precious crayons and some paper to draw on. He didn't say a word, just stood by and observed as she gave up her own special things so they could be happy. He made up his mind to get her some drawing things when he next had the chance.

She also had another basket, this one with four shiny green apples.

Jayne would deny buying them to the day he died.


End file.
